Members of the US Congress are condemning the brutal beating of Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine by masked Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, with several lawmakers calling for an investigation and accountability. Levine, a veteran conflict photographer, suffered four broken vertebrae, a broken rib, and lacerations across her body in the Friday attack near the village of Abu Falah.
What happened in Abu Falah
Levine, 63, was on assignment covering Palestinian families gathering their annual olive harvest when dozens of masked settlers descended from a nearby hilltop settlement. Witnesses and video footage show the settlers hurling stones with slings, setting olive groves on fire, and surrounding Levine — who wore a helmet and a flak jacket clearly marked "PRESS" — knocking her to the ground and kicking and beating her with clubs for around ten minutes. Her cameras, lenses, phone, and a pouch holding her passport were stolen or destroyed. She was treated at hospitals in Ramallah and Israel and is recovering.
Lawmakers demand accountability
The condemnation crossed party lines. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) called the attack "unconscionable" and asked whether the world would tolerate "accelerating vigilante violence." Sen. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey) said reports of a coordinated attack — and of IDF soldiers failing to intervene — were "incredibly concerning," pledging to keep calling for an investigation. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California) said settlers "operate with impunity" and urged cutting off US aid used to fund settler activity. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut) wrote that Levine's flak jacket and helmet kept her alive, adding: "The farmers in the grove had no flak jackets." Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware) called it "appalling"; Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) demanded Israel hold those responsible accountable; Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) called it "a wakeup call." Even former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz reposted video of the attack, writing, "This is so hard to watch."
Israel's response: facts disputed
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the facts of the incident "remain unclear and are under investigation." His office claimed some 200 Arabs and far-left activists confronted about 40 Israeli youths — an account Levine flatly rejected as "absolutely untrue" in an interview, calling it insulting. The Israeli military said troops were trying to disperse a violent crowd and had not witnessed the attack on Levine, and that separate military and police investigations are underway. The US Embassy in Jerusalem condemned criminal violence in the West Bank and said it was monitoring the situation.
A pattern of violence
Press advocates say the attack fits a wider surge. The Committee to Protect Journalists called it part of "a disturbing pattern of violence and harassment against journalists." The UN documented more than 1,600 settler attacks resulting in injuries or property damage in the West Bank between January and August. Just ten days earlier, settlers beat Agence France-Presse photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh with rifle butts near Aqraba, and NBC News journalists were attacked in August.
The takeaway: the beating of an American journalist on camera has turned a local harvest-season assault into a diplomatic incident — and Congress wants answers about who ordered, allowed, or ignored it.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Volatile Reaction (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: The Washington Post (via DNYUZ), Rep. Rosa DeLauro, CNN, NPR, Committee to Protect Journalists